


I Could Never Be As Good As You

by KazeRyve



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Domestication, M/M, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22984621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazeRyve/pseuds/KazeRyve
Summary: Kaon's buried memories resurface after The Pet digs up one of his old possessions, forcing him to reconcile his personal feelings with his place among the DJD's ranks.
Relationships: Dominus Ambus/Kaon
Comments: 18
Kudos: 50





	1. Do you remember?

“Hey! What are you doing!?” The sound of Kaon’s belongings clattering onto the floor snapped his attention away from the communications console. A quick pulse of electroreception illuminated the turbofox rummaging through a toppled shelf of Kaon’s possessions. The Pet’s head lifted up with a whimper and the grind of teeth against metal. 

“What’s in your mouth? What do you have?” He crouched next to the wheezing turbofox. “C’mon, give it.” He reached a hand into the Pet’s drooling maw, something the other members of his team, fierce though they were, would hesitate to attempt. “You can’t just go chewing on whatever scrap you find.” He sighed and took the small item from the Pet’s teeth, turning it over in his fingers. 

It was flat, sort of squarish. Polished on one side, but coarser on the other. “Where’d you get this?” He muttered, tracing the grooves until the familiarity of the object crashed down around him. A badge. His badge.

“… Dom?” The name slipped past his lips, cautious and guilty like the sin that it was. He could feel Tarn’s disapproval weighing on him despite being all alone, feel his former teammate sitting at his feet with that vacant, expectant head tilt. 

“Do… Do you remember giving this to me?” Kaon’s voice crackled as he tried to keep it low. The new Vos, fake Vos, had a disgusting habit of eavesdropping. “Do you remember anything?” He held the Pet’s face hoping, pleading for some indication that the mech he used to know could hear him. 

A curious whine, an unsettling gurgle, then he turned away to sniff at the mess he’d made. Kaon gritted his teeth. Frustration and hatred seized him like flames, sparks even jumped across his coils in a vain attempt to vent his emotions. “Get out of there, you stupid mutt!” The Pet yelped and scurried out of his way. 

Instantly, guilt began to wash over him as he righted the shelf. This had been happening a lot lately. Something would set him off, prompting him to lose control, Tarn would admonish him, then the shame. At this rate, he was at risk of losing his fortitude. Another show of weakness and Tarn might…

Kaon’s limbs went cold at the thought, but he shook his head. “No. Guilt is for the guilty.” He recited Tarn’s phrase, standing up as he finished replacing his possessions.

For a moment he considered returning to the console, but instead let his feet carry him to the bed, letting himself crumple onto it. He rubbed his thumb over the badge before pressing it to his lips. The Pet, sensing something was wrong, crawled up and sniffed at his face and neck. 

“I wish you were here… You always knew what to do… what to say.” Kaon clumsily held The Pet and pressed against his forehead, choking back weakness. “I could never be as good as you…”


	2. Everything to Prove

It was Vos who caught him, using his hooks to catch their target, his chains going taut with a satisfying clang as he strung out the transgressor. The massive warrior was skilled an experienced, handling his prey with ease and poising the unlucky mech for the rest of the Decepticon Justice Division to do as they pleased.

Kaon went first, ready, raring, with everything to prove, sending all the electricity he could muster through the target. His electroreception could reach every inch of the traitor's insides like this. His vents, his fuel pump, his spark, and it was all crackling with his presence. Kaon only stopped when he heard Tarn’s voice ring out over the din.

Then Tesarus, churning and tearing nonessential parts with the deafening roar of hungry blades, followed shortly by Helex whose intense heat Kaon could feel even at a distance. Finally, it was Tarn’s turn. 

He cradled what was left of their target, whispering and coaxing until the Decepticon’s chest crushed in on itself with a painful wrunch. Kaon’s face screwed the spark’s final pulse washed over him, his whole body shuddering from the static. This must be what ‘blinding light’ is like.

“Ha!” Helex snorted in amusement. “The new guy’s getting queazy!” Kaon leered at the accusation of weakness, hoping his eyeless glare would shut the smelter up. He opened his mouth to spout justification. He was standing too close to the spark spasm. EM pulses made him sick. What did it matter anyway!?

“Helex.” A deep, reverberating voice cut between the two of them before he could say anything in his own defense. Vos rarely spoke, but when he did, it was quiet, firm, and stoic. Kaon was quickly picking up on his teammates’ inflections, shifting weight, and even spark fields if he was close enough. But not Vos.

The smaller con turned to the side, crossing his arms. He didn’t need any big mechs coming to his rescue, even if he was inwardly thankful. Hopefully that wouldn’t show.

“If you’re all done here…” Tarn’s voice instantly settled any and all movements between them, plunging the team into alert silence. “Vos, excellent form. Cross Gasket off the list. Helex, you’re getting sloppy. Don’t forget we’re professionals. Tesarus, you’re too eager. This is an ensemble, not a solo. As for Kaon…” He could swear he felt Tarn’s eyes burning into him. “… You’re learning quickly. Don’t get cocky.”

Tarn’s praise felt like warmth in his chest, causing a smile to break over his’s face like sunlight. “Th-thank you, sir!” Only silence as the DJD leader turned away. Had he nodded? Made a face? Disgust? Maybe he’d done something wrong. Surely he’d shown too much excitement…

Vos’s clawed hand on his shoulder jolted him back to the realm of the physical. He jumped a little, but was met with a strangely soft tone. “You’re doing well.” Kaon gulped and cleared his throat. “I know that.”

“Hm. Good.” Was that a smile?

“Everyone, back to the ship.”


	3. Crossing the Line

“You wanted to see me, sir?” Kaon opened the door to the DJD leader’s quarters. He scanned the room, immediately noticing New Vos curled up in Tarn’s chair. His face reflexively curled into a scowl at his presence. He could practically feel the smugness radiating off of the self-satisfied bastard.

“Your performance is slipping.” Tarn’s voice was cold and harsh. Kaon felt sick, acutely aware of the Tarn’s voice, like a ghostly talon teasing his spark with the threat of collapse. “Your aim is worsening, you snap at your teammates, and you’re making no attempt to rectify your mistakes.” He could feel Tarn pacing in front of him. “That’s to say nothing of you terminating Prion prematurely…” 

“It was a mistake, sir.”

“It was irresponsible!” Kaon couldn’t help but wince as Tarn raised his voice. The last thing he needed was a show of weakness, but Tarn’s ability seemed to pierce through his chest. “You AND the rest of the team have been losing your grip! You expect Decepticons to remain resolute when you’ve allowed our own founder to turn traitor!?”

“Hey, don’t take this out on us!” Kaon’s whole body sparked with rage. “We’ve been working just as hard as we always have! Just because Megatron failed you doesn’t mean we have! You’ve been running us ragged for weeks cause of this!”

The entire room went cold. Kaon knew he’d crossed a line. Even Vos seemed tentative. Tarn’s pacing abruptly stopped as he stood faced away. “… Beg pardon, Kaon?”

“I- I’m sorry, sir I-“

“Exceedingly bold of you to speak to your leader in such a way.” His voice was dark, low, and deadly. “I’m honestly surprised to hear it coming from you…”

Kaon’s chest lurched, his generator whining desperately. “Gh-! Sir, please!!” The world seemed to fall out of existence, spinning around his head until his knees and forearms struck the cold hard floor.

The sound of Tarn’s footfalls came dangerously close to his face before stopping. “Since you’ve chosen to speak so freely, I see it only fitting that you take a vow of silence until further notice.” Tarn hissed directly next to his ears. Kaon’s spark recoiled at how close and quiet he was. “Go… NOW!”

It was hard to fight the vertigo and push himself up, but at this point his only drive was to flee. He staggered unceremoniously out the door, slamming it behind him as he tried to keep from purging.


	4. All I Ask

Kaon had finished his first batch of reports, a verbally recorded affair, and was circling in front of Tarn’s door. How busy was he? Should he just knock? Perhaps too bold. What if it was a bad time?

He paced indecisively for what felt like ages before he heard the soft yet heavy sound of encroaching footsteps. Quickly, before he could be detected, he ducked behind some storage crates. He didn’t need to be harassed right now. A frantic pulse washed over three large forms rounding the corner towards him.

“I mean, it’s hardly fair.” Tesarus’s gruff and slurred voice became audible. “We all worked to be here, but that little punk just gets to join without earning it?”

“You’re not doubting our leader’s judgement, are you?” Vos’s quite interjection. Unmistakeable.

“Pfft! Tarn just likes him because he’s a suck up, that’s all.” Helex dismissed in that condescendingly jovial tone. Kaon imagined him waving a large hand, secondary arms propped against his hips.

Tesarus grumbled in return, pounding his fist into a nearby wall. “Tarn won’t even tell us where he comes from! How can we trust that?”

“We’ve been without a ‘Kaon’ for quite some time… and he’s a good fighter. What more do you need?” Vos’s voice had an unusual edge to it. “Besides, It’s not our place to question Tarn’s orders. Only to follow them. Something you could stand to remember, Tesarus.”

The shredder grunted, stance clearly unchanged, Vos had made it plain the conversation was over. The three continued along their path in relative silence, Helex asking Vos about the next target.

Once he was sure they were gone, Kaon let out a heavy sigh, pressing his hands to his face. They were right. Each member of the Justice Division had been carefully vetted before becoming a fully fledged member. Tarn had just given it to him, name and all.

“So. Your reports?” Tarn’s silken voice sent shudders down Kaon’s back. He hadn’t even sensed his approach.

“I- I’m sorry, sir I-” “No need. Come, speak with me.” “Right.”

Kaon scrambled out from behind the crates to follow, taking Tarn’s arm and pulling it close to his chest. “They… The others hate me.” 

Tarn hummed thoughtfully and opened his door, stroking the back of Kaon's hands as he took them. “Is that so.” He sat Kaon down gently before the chair directly opposite creaked as it took Tarn’s weight. “It must be difficult adjusting to such drastic change. Are you having second thoughts?”

“Of course not!” Kaon snapped quickly, fear flooding his soul like ice. “I- I need this, I don’t have anything else! You gave me everythin-”

“Shh...” Tarn’s finger pressed against Kaon’s lips, quieting him. “That’s all I wanted to hear. Don’t concern yourself with them. I chose you. Let that be enough. No explanations, no excuses, just loyalty. That’s all I ask.”

Kaon nodded slowly, trying to swallow his doubt. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.” He’d be stronger, fight harder, and show no weakness. Prove to everyone, especially Tarn, that he deserved to be there.

“I’ll speak with the others. Team synergy is paramount, after all. Perhaps you should consider speaking with Vos. He seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Kaon’s brow furrowed, confused. “… Really?”

“Don’t take my word for it.” Tarn’s chair shifted as he leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “Ask him yourself.”


	5. Stuck in Silence

Even after he’d purged his tanks, his generator was still offline. Were it not for his familiarity with the ship, his surroundings would be completely imperceptible to him. He was lodged in a small space between the engine and the ventilation, a hiding place he’d utilized ever since he’d joined this damned organization. 

Tarn’s yelling kept replaying in his head, the soul-stopping, unyielding rage. The pain of it all was compounded by the terror of someone finding him here. Luckily the sounds of his vents as he choked back panic were covered up by the steady churn of the engine.

It must have started when Dominus got found out, that’s when Tarn started to get bad, but the news of Megatron’s betrayal seemed to shake him to his core. Questioning their loyalty at every turn, wild accusations of insubordination, even the punishments have gotten worse.

That’s right… His punishment. Kaon sat up slowly, wiping his face dry and trying to steady his breathing. His ‘vow of silence’ would be difficult to work around. Most of his communications duties involved speaking and listening. Was Tarn trying to phase him out?

Kaon curled in on himself again, holding both sides of his head. 

Why was it that no matter how hard he tried, he was never good enough? What was he doing wrong? Was there something wrong with him?

“Why does everyone want to get RID of me!?” He cried out, immediately clapping a hand over his mouth. He held his breath and listened for any sign that someone heard him. The hum of the engine, the rattle of the ventilation, even the low pulse of his own spark were all deafening. 

Finally, he took a deep breath and curled up with his back against the engine, just enough to feel the vibrations of what was around him. No one would be needing him for a while. Or ever again as far as Tarn was concerned.


	6. Not Skilled, Just Lucky

“That the last one?” Vos inquired, amused, as Kaon kicked the final autobot soldier off a ledge. He listened for the knocking of metal against stone, smiling when he heard the satisfying thud. 

“Yeah, last one.” Kaon straightened up, a hand resting on his hip. “Should we head back? Tarn’s probably expecting- hm!” Kaon bristled as Vos’s claws played across his spark coils. 

“I don’t see why we have to be back so soon.” Why did hearing Vos speak always make him lurch. “I’d rather talk to you than Helex or Tesarus.”

“I… Appreciate it, but… Vos- please.” He swatted him away, even as the larger mech ruffled his head. “I- Look, we should really get back. I don’t want to get in trouble with the others.”

“Kaon, you’ve been with us for nearly two years. You can afford to-.” 

“I _can't_ , Vos!” He snapped, sparks flying from his coils. Vos quickly jolted his hand away. Kaon instantly felt guilty. “I- I’m sorry I-“

“It’s alright… You don’t have to stay, I just thought it might be nice. You’re always working so hard.” Vos must have reached out because Kaon felt his concerned EM field collide with his own.

Kaon shook his head, pacing, to blow off charge. “I have to. I’m not like the rest of you I- I didn’t train for this! I’m not an elite warrior, I’m- I’m just lucky!” His shoulders crackled as he got worked up.

“Kaon, you deserve to be here as much as the rest of us. The fact that you’re still here is proof enough.” Vos’s claws brushed against his arms, but Kaon yelped and pushed him away for fear of shocking him.

“I don’t deserve this! I’m a fake! I’m not made to last!” Kaon felt tears welling up in his eye sockets, and electricity arcing across his back. Finally he cried out, “I _don't_ deserve this! Tarn just took pity on a broken MTO abandoned by his own squad who didn't want a soldier who can’t even see what he’s shooting at!!” He crunched in on himself, clutching his head and biting back sobs.

Even though his body was crawling with electricity, he felt Vos’s claws find their place between his fingers. The contact surprised him, but he forced himself to breathe and keep his static low. 

“… I don’t belong here either.” Vos’s voice was suddenly so genlte, it was almost jarring. His claws squeezed his hands. “I’m just good at pretending. I had to leave everything behind for this. Friends, family… I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get to me.” 

Vos paused, and Kaon felt his head shake. “We came as we were, that’s true, but… Kaon, that’s not all you are. You’re not just an MTO soldier, you’re not just a DJD member. We’re so much more than that.”

Kaon sat, swinging his legs over the ledge, still holding Vos’s hand tightly. His electricity had faded and he was thinking. It was a long time before he spoke.

“I wanna stay here a while longer.”


	7. Nothing to Fix

“Hey! You wanna come down?” Kaon startled at the small voice calling up from the floor. Of course, Nickel was scheduled to do maintenance today. “I wasn’t gonna say nothing, but I’m gonna do an engine check and I don’t wanna deal with your overheated husk.”

So much for a secret hiding place. He took a deep breath and hopped down off the ventilation shaft, but as soon as he rounded the engine the busy clatter of Nickels tools stopped. His distress must have been visible.

“Oh god. You look like shit.” 

Nickel’s wheels made a light scuff sound as the minicon approached, taking his hands and leading the incapacitated Kaon to a better spot for examination. He wasn’t too thrilled about having a checkup right then, but it’s not like he could tell her otherwise under his vow.

The DJD medic took his face and tilted it in her hands with a judgmental hum before prodding Kaon’s chest with what felt like a wrench. “You miserable thing, your generator’s dislodged. You can’t see like this, can you. Where’s The Pet? Ohhh! That mutt’s never around when you actually need him!” Kaon struggled not to peep as she knocked his generator back into place with a small mallet. “Don’t try spinning up yet, give it a chance to settle!”

He only nodded, rubbing his chest gingerly. 

“… You’re awfully quiet. What happened?”

Great. How was he supposed to answer her questions without breaking his vow? Was Tarn trying to isolate him?

“Is your voice busted too?” She asked with a sigh.

He quickly shook his head and waved his arms, not wanting her to try and ‘fix’ it.

“… Then why aren’t you talking? You’re usually the sarcastic chatterbox.” She went back to tweaking his generator, making him wince a little. She stopped and her tiny hands took either side of his face. “… Did Tarn put you up to this? Is this one of his stupid tests?”

He looked to the side and nodded. Nickel let go of him and sighed, clicking impatiently. “That Tarn’s gonna run his own team into the ground at this rate, mark my words, if he doesn’t get his act together…” She must have sensed Kaon’s discomfort with her badmouthing. “I’ll… Have a talk with him. He knows better than to argue with me.”

She patted his cheek twice before returning to her engine maintenance. “Go on, now! No use standing around here.” He made a vague gesture in Nickel’s direction. Hopefully it’d be interpreted as the thanks he meant it to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy quarantine, have some light angst


	8. My Best Mistake

Kaon’s head rested on Vos’s chest, able to feel the gentle pulses of his EM field washing over his face like waves on the shore. Vos’s claws rested across his shoulders, occasionally brushing across his face. They were laying his quarters, enjoying a rare moment of leisure after having finished their maintenance work early. It was comfortably quiet.

“Kaon?” He could feel the vibration’s of Vos’s voice reverberating from his chest through his jaw. 

“Yeah, Vos?” He mumbled lazily, tracing the larger mech’s seams. 

“Would you ever consider… leaving the DJD?” The question was so casual yet so unorthodox. Was his devotion being tested?

“O-of course not! Tarn says this is a lifelong obligation! A matter of loyalty to the cause.” He stopped, sensing Vos’s discomfort with Tarn’s rhetoric at a time like this. What was he doing? Vos wouldn’t test him like that. “… Sorry. What makes you say that?”

“I mean… There’s so much more out there. So much to see and discover… You can’t do that tied up here.” He scratched Kaon’s ruffled helm plating, easing his nerves. “If this place, this philosophy, is all you’ve ever known, there’s whole other worlds you’re missing out on.

Kaon adjusted, nestling further into the crook of Vos’s neck. “Well… You’re here. Why would I want to be anywhere else?”

A cold wave of fear seeped through Vos’s field. What reason did he have to be afraid?

“About that… I’ve been doing this for a while.” He began cautiously, still petting Kaon’s head idly. Perhaps to calm himself? “And… I’m not sure how long…” His words seemed to get caught on his tongue. 

Kaon laced his fingers with Vos’s claws. “Vos, you’re getting stuck in your head again.”

“Ah, right…” He squeezed his hand in return. Though his body was steady and unyielding as always, his voice seemed to quiver. “… Kaon, if I’m not… not what you think I am. Would that change things?”

The smaller mech tilted his head, confused. “I… don’t think so? I don’t get it.”

Vos took a deep breath, a sense of resolve washing through his EM field. “I don’t want to lie to you. You don’t deserve that.” The sound of shifting components startled Kaon a little as what must’ve been a series of compartments opened up. His claws clicked against a small metal object before it was placed in Kaon’s hands.

“What’s this?” He turned it over in his fingers, feeling a little dumb. It was square, worn, maybe faceted? No, it was an engraving. He hoped it wasn’t writing.

“It’s my old badge. Before I was Vos I was an Autobot named Dominus Ambus. Joining the DJD was my assigned mission.”

Kaon felt his limbs go cold and he drew back. “W-what?” Vos was the very pinnacle of what the DJD were supposed to be! Calculated, intelligent, disciplined, not to mention powerful… “Y-you’re a traitor!!”

Vos’s claws took Kaon’s hands, squeezing tightly around the autobot badge. “Kaon, please listen. If you trusted Vos, you can trust Dominus." He let Kaon's hands go and he drew them back quickly. "Yes, I lied… but I had to. And everything I said, everything I felt, it was real. This, us, now, it’s all real. That’s why I’m telling you… Because I don’t know how much longer I’ve got.”

He swallowed, shaking his head slightly. This was too much, too fast and it was burning him from the inside. He'd put his trust in this damn infiltrator and now it was only a matter of time before Tarn took that away too! Before he knew it, he was shaking as tears pooled in his empty eyes.

“Oh, Kaon…” Vos pulled the sobbing mech into his arms, the horrible uncertainty of how much time together they had left seemed to press in from all sides. “I’m sorry… I…”

“I-I don’t want you to go!” Kaon choked out, clinging to Vos’s armor as if it was the only thing keeping him from vanishing into dust. “You're the only one who makes me feel like a person! What the hell am I gonna do when you're gone!?"

Both of Vos’s claws took Kaon’s face and the larger mech’s lips pressed desperately against his own. Kaon’s spark lurched, overtaken with emotion and passion and… love? Yes, even love… In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not loyalty, not faction, not duty, not sin. Just the feeling of Vos’s lips, hands, and spark. As electricity coursed over his armor, pressing into Vos as much as physics would allow, they both knew the other was the best mistake he would ever make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the absence! School and moving required my attention, but now there's only one chapter left. Thank you all for the kind comments, it truly means a lot for this first time poster!


	9. Surrender to the Storm

Kaon lay silent in his room for a long time, holding the autobot badge close to his chest. Finally, he stood, removing his Decepticon emblem and fixing the enemy badge to his chest. The Pet’s ears twitched and he lifted his head off the floor with a tentative wheeze.

“Hey, Dom.” Kaon’s voice was rough from his punitive silence. “We’re going out, but we gotta be quiet.” Kaon patted his leg, the shell of his Vos trot up to his side excitedly, tongue lolling out to the side. “Yeah, yeah…” He ruffled The Pet’s ears and walked through the silent hallways. The rest of the team was recharging, overworked as was common nowadays. There would be no one to witness him.

Kaon pushed the ship’s hatch open, flinching at the frigid Messatine wind. The Pet sneezed at the cold and rattled his plating, likely to shake the snow off of him. He whined, and thwacked his tail against Kaon’s leg.

“Yeah, well, it’s not gonna get any better. C’mon, we gotta move.” He set off through the snow, feeling it whip around his ankles and into his joints. He could feel the moisture of his hot breath against the cold night air. The Pet pranced alongside him, kicking up snow and ice. Kaon shuddered, clutching his upper arms.

“Okay, there’s an abandoned nucleon mine a few cycles to the south… We can wait out the storm in there.” He took hold of The Pet’s collar and leaned on his weight. “Dom, I can’t see in this loose snow, I’ll need your help.” Whether or not Dominus could hear or understand him, he didn’t know for certain, but the domesticated Autobot began to lead him through the snow. 

It seemed like an endless slog, through a cold deafening void. His feet grew heavier with every step as ice accumulated on his treads. Finally his struts gave out and he tumbled face first into the snow. He noted how astounding it was that something so benign could feel so remarkably like thousands of tiny daggers against his exposed plating. The unforgiving cold seemed to press into his very spark.

The Pet’s teeth grazed against Kaon’s neck as the turbofox attempted to haul Kaon up by his shoulder. Unable to summon the strength to get up, even with The Pet’s assistance, he slumped back into the snowbank. “I can’t… I’m not- I’m not strong like you.”

The Pet whined, nudging at his chest before taking the badge between his teeth. “Gh! Dom!” Kaon pawed fruitlessly at The Pet’s face. “Dom, give it!!” The warmth of The Pet next to him left suddenly, accompanied by the crunch of snow growing further and further away. 

“D-Dom!? HEY! Come back, DOMINUS!!!” He coughed from the ice building on his ventilation. Kaon curled in on himself. Was it really any surprise he’d been abandoned? His life started with his squadron leaving him for dead, now it was going to end the same damn way… It was almost poetic how sick it all was. He shuddered as the cold seeped into his vents and chest. His limbs were mostly numb by this point.

He couldn’t feel.

He couldn’t hear.

He couldn’t breathe.

  
This must be what darkness is.

Kaon felt dull pain washing over his body, but the stinging cold was gone as was the roaring of the wind. The air was bitter with antiseptic and something heavy rested on his lower body.

“Ngh… The hell?” The weight on his legs shifted as a slobbery lick graced his face, rousing him completely. “Dom? DOM!!” He hugged The Pet’s neck and nuzzled, burying his cold face into The Pet’s very welcome warmth. He laughed in relief, feeling his eyes pool with tears once again. “How’d you- Where are we?”

“Oh, good you're awake.” An unfamiliar voice accompanied the crisp sound of footfalls on tile. Warm hands took his face to examine him, much like how Nickel would. This must be a medic. "Do you have a name?"

Kaon paused. He was hardly worthy of the DJD's given title anymore... "No. I don't."

“Suit yourself. Your turbofox is very well trained.” The medic's voice voice spoke again, paired with a gentle hand on Kaon's shoulder. “When he brought your badge to our medical outpost, we knew someone needed our help. What were you doing out in that storm anyway? Weather like that is dangerous for anyone."

Kaon clung to The Pet’s neck, the only real constant in such a bizarre existence. “I was… running away. Things got bad. Had to get out.”

The medic made a small sympathetic sigh, probably nodding as well. “I see… Well, you’re going to be alright. My name is First Aid and I'm here to help.”

_ _____ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this character exploration! I've wanted to write something like this for a long time and I'm honestly surprised at the support you've all given me. I didn't expect any feedback, much less this much! So thank you truly for sticking with me and all your kind words!


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